Combined letter-sheet and envelop.



A PATENTBDAPL 9, 1907.1

W.\.A. .GO0KE, Jn'. 'COMBINED LETTER SHEET AND E NVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 20. 1906'l wlmi ` ggg.

COMBINED LETTER SHBETAND ENVELOP.

l P'xmourou FILED Arn.2o.19oe.

4 l l l To a/ZZ whom, zt may concern:

entran 'entras rar? 5` T FFIE..

WILLAM A. COOKE, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ontnemen Larrea-sneer aan naasten. Y

velopl, T 's invention relates to com ined letter art or folded s eet; third, to pro or note sheets and envelope. These articles are usually made in a single piece cut out from a sheet of paper, and they are adapted to be foldedI to the form of an ordinary envelop in such a manner asl to conceal the writing upon the sheet and are partly self-.-lv

sealed to prevent unfolding and exposure of the written contents of the letter.

The object of the invention is, first, to produce a combined letter-sheet and envelo in which when folded and sealed the info ded arts, of the sheet cannot be Withawn, s 'p ed out, or spreadto ex ose the Writin wit out tearing or defa'cingt esheet; secon to produce a' combined otter-sheet and envelop in which when properly folded and sealed-the Writing is completely hidden fromview and cannot be got at without breakin the seals ortearin the iaps of the duce a combined letter-sheet and envelo 1n whichv the writingsurface shall be devoi :of deeply-creased or perforated lines, so that the entire surface of the sheet shall .be smooth, even, and have as perfect a Writing-surface as ordinarywritingpaper; fourth, to produce a combined lettersheetand envelop in Which the writing-sur- --she'et and envelo v.40:

.- face shall'be clean .and devoid of adhesive material; fifth, to produce a combined letterwhich can be easily and uickly opened Without danger of tearing the gheet, de acing the writing, or destroying the address, monogram, crest, date, &c., thereon;

'y sixth, to produce a combined letter-sheet and .envelop '1n which the. top and bottom sections, which are infolded, are adapted'to be' positively and securely fastened together as al1-additional security against opening or spreading the folds of the letter-sheet.

The nature of the invention and thc particular manner of making and using the same are fully set forth in the following description, which' is-to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which* Sheet I, Figure 1, represents a plan of the combined letter-sheet and envelop, showing the Writing-surface, the folding lines, and the- Specification of Letters Patent. I Application filed April 20, 1906i Serial No. 312,811. l

Patented April 9, 1907.

end-sealing flaps. Figs. f2 to 5, inclusive, represent perspective views of the saine, illustrating the successive steps of folding and Fig. 6 represents the back 6o sealing the sheet. of thecombined letter-sheet and envelo after being folded and sealed. Fig. 7 ilus- =trates the method of opening the folded and saledletter-sheet. Fig. 8 represents a let-` ter-sheet in which thetop flaps and the bottom foldable sections are adapted to beA sealed together when folded. Fig. 9 represents a letter-sheet in which the bottom part is composed of a single section and which is adapted to be sealed to the top flap-section..

Referring to Sheet I, W designates a sheet of paper of a general rectan ular form. The sheet is rovided with slight y or faintl defined arallel folding-lines 1 2 3 4,whic

divide t e sheet into a back section A, aiirst fold C, a second fold O, a top hap-fold K, and a fourth foldable section E. The ends of the back project beyond the edges of the other folds and are formed. into end-sealing'laps O C', which are divided from the, `8o back by weakened lines 5 5 substantially in line with the vertical edges of the foldable sectionsand arealso divided transversely into v two parts by means of weakened lines 6 6, which coincide with the folding-line 3 of the top flap-section when-the latter is folded. These end-sealing flaps have on their upper .surfaces at the outerk edges comparativel narrow bands of adhesive, which are indicated by the parallell lines 7 7 on the saine. The face' of the letter-sheet, which is shown by Fig. 1, forms the Writing-surface, which is coextensive with the 'sheet and is fiat, smooth, and devoid of adhesive material. Hence the entire surface can be written upon, if necessary, there being` nothing upon said surface to interfere wit f the writlng or to soil the hands or clothing or vhich can be smeared over the'paper by contact with the hand.

The first fold is made by folding the section C on the line 1, as indicated by Fig. 2, Aand then laying it down flat on the'scctiof.' C.v

The second foldis made b folding thel/ ec;- tion O on the line 2,-as in 'cated by F'g. 3,

and laylng it down on the back A with the The next fold is section C underneath. made by foldingv the top flap-section K on the line 3 and laying it down on the section E, and the last fold is made by folding the section E on the line tand laying it down on the to of the folded section O with the section underneath. The llaps O O are then Irc) g folded over on the weakened lines and adhesively fastened to the backs or outer sides of the folded sections E and O, and, when thus folded and fastenedthe'doubled folded edge E* between the sections KE coincides with the transverse weakened lines 6 6 of the end-sealin flaps, as shown by Fi 5. The sections E are of necessarily vess width than the sections Cy O and correspond to the width of the parts of the end-sealing-Haps above the weakened lines 6 6, so that when the sections K E are folded down cntop of section() the folded edge E should invariably coincide with the wea ened lines 6 6. It is preferred that the flaps should be divided by the weakened lines 6 6 into two equal partsand that the section K should correspond in width to these parts of the flaps, so that when folded down on section O the doubled edge E will be about half-Way between. the top'and bottom edges of the folded and sealed sheet ;A

but this is not essential, and the parts above and below may be of une ual width', the

third folding-line 3 being, 'oweverl corres ondin ly placed to coincide with itwhen t e top ftp-sections are folded.

As the Writing iscontined to the surface of the sheet and this surface is covered by fold# ing the sections in the. manner justdescribed, it 1s' completely hidden and cannot be seen or exposed by opening ont the folded top fla section from the section O; neither can t e infolded top and bottom sections G O 'be pulled out without tearing the sheet, owing to the fact that the edge of the section C isinfolded and pocketed between section A0 and the back section A. When the shetis folded and sealed `in the manner described, it takes theform of an en-velop, as shown by- 'glo open'the yletter-sheen the finger or an implement, such as the. blade of a knife or paper-cutter, is inserted' under the doubled or folded edge E and pressed outward, thereby causingy the folded edge to bear against the inner ends of the weakened lines 6 und ltear the end-sealing flaps O O apart on opened out the entire writing is exposed tol view. The double-folded edge being much stronger than the weakenedlines 6 6 of' the scaling-flaps when the sheet is to be opened by pressing the folded edge outward, the weakened lines yieldv readily and easily, and there is n'o danger of tearing the folded edge lil, as would hap en if the edge E were single instead ol doub It is important to reserve' the integrity of the top sections K because the address, date, crest, monogram, &c., a're printed u on one or both of `these sections andV would e destroyed if they should be torn in opening the sheet.

A means of further securing the.letter sheet against being'tampered with and the writing from "being seen by unauthorized eyes is'illustrated lby Figs. 8 and 9. The former figure shows a letter-sheet of exactly the same form as the one heretofore described; but inaddition to the adhesive on the end-sealing flaps a' narrow strip of the surface, which is indicated by 8, contiguous to the edge of the bottom section C -and on the back thereof; is coated with thev adiresive, so vthat it may be'sealed, to the outer -edge of the top flap-section K whenV the sheet .outside, so that when the top flap-section is' turned its outside surface lcontiguous to its free edge will overlie the adhesive strip 8, and when the adhesive is moistened the two meeting edges adhere together. The to flap-section K may also have its surface a( jacent to-its free edge coated on the outside or back with the adhesive, as at 9, if desired. When the to and bottom sections are thus sealed, the fo ded sheet is still more secure.

Fig. 9illustrates a form of the sheet in which the bottom section C is omitted and the section O has an adhesive applied to itsV back surface in n. strip 8, contiguos to its free edge, and the top lap likewise has the adhesive on its back surface in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 8; but this strip of adhesive may be omitted, if desired. In this short sheet with a single bottom section the sealing together of the to i flap-section K and section' O makes the fo1ded sheet pertecthv secure against una-u- 'thorized opening.

vl. A combined letter-sheet and envelop consisting of a sheet of papereomprising a lOO back section having end-sealing iaps thereon which are 'divided transversely by weakened lines into two parts, .bottom sections verse weakened lines of the end-sealing 2. A. combined letter-sheet and consisting of a sheet of paper divided by envelop tions so as to form a top ap-section of less width than the back and folded sections, and

transverse folding-lines into a back section l of the same width as the space above .the

having end-sealing iiaps divided therefrom by weakened lines 'and provided with transverse weakened lines which divide it into two parts, bottom sections which are foldable together over on t'op of the back section, and relatively narrow top 'Hap-sections which are foldable over on top of the folded bottom section'so that the double folded edge is between the top and bottom edges ofthe folded bottom sections thus forming a relatively narrow Hap, said doubled edge, when said sections are thus folded and fastened by the end-sealing iaps, coinciding with the transflaps, substantiaiiy as described.

3. A combined letter-sheet and envelop consisting of a sheet of paper in which are comprised a back section having extensions at the end that form end-sealing flaps which are divided from the back section and also divided into two parts transversely by weakened lines, foldable bottom sections ofthe same width as the back section, and foldable top flap-sections adapted to be folded together over and on top of .the back Section and the top Hapsections adapted to be folded together on top ol the folded bottom secweakened lines of said end flaps.

4. A combined letter-sheet and envelop consisting of a sheet of paper divided into a back section having end-sealing flaps thereon which are divided from the back section and also divided into two parts transversely by weakened lines, foldable'bottom sections of substantially the same width as the back section, foldable top flapsections of less width' than -the back and bottom sections and corresponding,Y to the parts of the endsealing flaps above the transverse weakened lines, whereby when the bottom sections are folded overa-nd on top of the back section and the top flap-sections folded down on top of the bottom folded sections, the doublefolded edge of the top flap-section coincides with the transverse weakened lines ol' the end-sealing fiaps, substantially. as described.

In testimony that I'elaim the invention above set forth I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR. 

